The Grinch's Requiem
by xChewy
Summary: The Grinch has had enough of the Whos and their music, and is going to put a stop to it. And to do so, he's going straight to the source and kidnapping Jojo to hold for ransom. Can the Whos save him, or will the Grinch have his evil way? READ MORE INSIDE!
1. The Who That Horton Heard

HaHA. My first serious non-beyblade fanfiction, and it's about…

A Dr Seuss book? What's more, a movie studio's take on the book… But, I suppose, it was an amazing take. I grew up with these bizarre stories, so what difference does it make to me? Yeah, that's right! This makes me **AWESOME**!

… Ahem. Anyway. This is the story of how the Grinch stole music, or rather, The Grinch's Requiem.

DISCRIPTION: Now that the Who's have learned about Jojo's musical talent, they've all started to partake in the audible fun. But high on the peak of Mount Crumpit, a sinister enemy of the Whos is in no way pleased with what's going on. After cooking up a plan like only he can, the Grinch moves down off his mountain, kidnaps Jojo, and holds him as a hostage. Will his father and the townsfolk of Whoville be able to save their smallest Who, and will the Grinch get his wish and destroy music for everyone? Will typing any of this make it sound suspenseful and perilous, or am I just trying too hard?

WARNINGS: Mild language, depending on just how it plays out. Violence. Evil cackling. And maybe the death of a certain someone… We'll just have to read and see, won't we?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It was a warm summer's eve when the Grinch lost his patience

And angry and fuming, he cursed Who creations.

All of the music and all of the noise

All being made by Who gadgets and toys.

He had tolerated it for far too long, he decided

And because of his "patience" his rage had thus bided.

Now the Grinch, you must see, is no foolish beast

And when he came to hate anything at all in the least

He would brood in his cave, and stay hidden away

Until he could figure out how to make the Whos pay.

-x-x-x-

Today was his day. He was going to take the office by storm, demand respect at all turns, and lead the town of Whoville into the sunny day with a ruling fist of democracy and… and… leadership! Yes, today was definitely Ned McDodd's day. As he walked proudly across the courtyard, greeting and being greeted by the Whos he passed, he notice Ms Yelp standing on the steps of town hall with her arms crossed. She was glaring. Slowly, as he approached, the puffed ego he had talked himself into began to deflate. Oh no. Something had gone wrong. He was in trouble… Oh boy…

"Mr McDodd, you have a lot ahead of you today. VonFrood is about to pop a vein."

"But… About what?" Ned asked. Ms Yelp made to reply, but before she could even lift a finger, the paint-curling, screech-like growl of Chairman VonFrood shot out over the sound of the morning bustle.

"McDodd! There you are you baffling, blundering, boob! I told you to be here an hour ago!"

Stung by the term boob, which had since become VonFrood's nickname for him after the Horton Incident, Ned frowned and arched his eyebrows in tired curiosity.

"What? I never got a message about-"

"No, of course you didn't, because one of your _billions_ of children forgot to pass it on. Tell me, McDodd, why is it that you allow your children to get into city business so easily?"

Ms Yelp narrowed her eyes. In all her years working for Ned McDodd, she had never developed a problem with his children. As far as she was concerned, that last comment was below the belt. "Don't you gentlemen think this is more appropriate for the Happy Dome?"

VonFrood started. He glanced at the secretary with nothing less than distaste before 'hmphing' and turning to enter Who Hall, leaving Ned and Ms Yelp on the steps. An awkward pause passed as Ned stared after the angry green who, before Ms Yelp swatted his shoulder.

"Well go on!" She said in a low, irritated voice. Ned jumped, yelped, apologized hurriedly, and raced inside.

"I swear," Ms Yelp mumbled to herself, "that man needs a reality check like no other."

-x-x-x-

"We've Got All We Need And We Need All We've Got. We Like It In Whoville, We Like It A Lot!"

Removing his thumb from his hand, Ned McDodd turned to face the city council with apprehensive expectations. From right to left, each of the five members grew taller until the group came to a stop with VonFrood, his shrewdly maintained mustache quivering as he picked something from his teeth. The gathered citizens took their seats behind Ned quietly and waited.

"The matter at hand today, it would seem, is that of our Mayor's offspring and their-"

"Wait, my children? Why is this about them?" Ned said suddenly, eyes widening at the subject. VonFrood growled something beneath his breath before straightening out and forcing a smile onto his thin face.

"Well if you'd let me continue, you'd have known by now." He said evenly. Ned swallowed and remained silent. VonFrood cleared his throat.

"After the Horton Incident, we've all been made aware of the goings on up at the old observatory."

"Jojo?" Ned whispered, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"And although it's become quite popular for _your son_ to play 'music' every other hour," VonFrood continued venomously, "it's only too obvious that it's making nothing more than a racket! The more refined community in Whoville will agree that it must be silenced-"

"Now wait just one minute!" Ned heard himself call. He thrust a finger into the air and stepped forward bravely, shocked at his own actions. Despite the fact that it was out of his nature to act so assertive, he would not let VonFrood talk about his son that way.

"Jojo doesn't make a racket, he makes music! It's what he loves to do, and I think we can all agree that he's darn good at it!"

From the audience, a murmur of agreement filled the air. As if the noise had turned to humidity and made him uncomfortable in an otherwise acceptable climate, VonFrood adjusted his collar and straightened his ascot.

"You do not have the floor, Mr Mayor."

"And you don't have the right to say that about my son!"

"He's causing chaos up there! It's not just a family matter, it's a rumpus!"

Ned felt his face heat up. Oh, what he would give to take a swing at that snide face… "Well if you don't like it, chairman, you can always move up to Mount Crumpit!"

A few people gasped, and instantly Ned saw his mistake. The room fell silent. VonFrood stared at him, jaw open, before it closed and a nasty scowl curled his lips.

"What are you implying, McDodd?" He said in a dangerously menacing growl. Ned swallowed nervously and glanced around.

"That… You… You're like the… Grinch…" He mumbled. VonFrood twitched.

"What. Was. That?"

"That you're… You're acting like the Grinch." Ned said in a normal voice, arms dropping to his sides. The crowd behind him gasped, and a nervous chatter started up. VonFrood leaned forward in his chair slowly, as though he was impending doom in Who form.

"We do _not_ speak that name here, Mr Mayor. You of all people should know that."

Ned looked up at him slowly. "Yes. I apologize."

-x-x-x-

Sally McDodd was ready to pull her hair out. If she heard one more whining voice call her name, she was going to _snap_. How she hated summer vacation. Ninety-six daughters and not a single one seemed capable of doing anything for herself.

"Mom, I want some lemonade."

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

"Mom, Hedy bit me!"

"Mom, where's the phone? Damian was supposed to call me!"

"Mom, tell Jessica to give me back my WhoPod!"

"Hey mom-"

"_What_?!" Sally snapped, turning sharply to face the last speaker. "Oh… Oh! Jojo! I'm sorry, dear, what is it?"

So rarely did Jojo confront his parents about anything that for the time people, her daughters would have to take a back seat. Several of them groaned in the background, but she ignored them. Straightening her hair and kneeling down to be at Jojo's level, she asked again.

"What did you want?"

Jojo, the smallest Who in all of Whoville and the oldest of the McDodd children – the only boy, at that – looked at his mother through black bangs with tired eyes.

"Never mind, mom. You're busy."

Sally blinked. "No, I have time for you, JojooaaAAH!"

As several toddler girls landed on her back and threw her off guard, Jojo managed to escape from the madness into the Hall of Greats. The second the door closed behind his small form, silence engulfed him. Not a pin dropping, or a heart beating, or a sneasel bug crawling. Just Jojo, alone with thousands of eyes staring down at him from thousands of portraits. He walked slowly, as he always did, and by the time he got down to his room, the chaos from the family room had grown to a level that he could hear it from there.

He sighed and pushed his door open. He was used to his parents being busy. Though the Horton Incident had certainly made them respect him more, it hadn't been enough to distract them from work – whether it be as the mayor or as an stressed mom. Collapsing onto his bed, Jojo gazed up at the ceiling for a good full minute without blinking before he got the idea. It was the idea he always got, and each and every time it passed through his mind, it was a good idea. Never once was it a bad idea; it had no reason to be.

He would go to the old observatory. He would tinker and tonker and work the night away, and by morning there would be yet another contraption to add to his hand-made symphony. Smiling slightly, he sat up and moved to the window, shoving it open. The tree outside had been worn smooth in places by all the times he had used it to climb out. The cool summer night's air tussled his hair, and as he climbed down the tree trunk with surprising speed, the stars in the sky began to blink alive.

-x-x-x-

Little Jojo McDodd was not the only one on their way to the old observatory. From high on the slopes of the dreaded Mount Crumpit, slumping between the gray jagged rocks, was a ghastly green figure known for several nasty things. He was as evil as could be, feared by every Who. He was the ghoul in all Who ghost stories and the beast in all the little Who's nightmares. And as he skidded across pebbles and loose ash, headed for the east side of Whoville toward the old observatory, he smiled a smile that only the most wretched of creatures could conjure. For he was the Grinch, and he had had just about enough of the music that came from that old building.

-x-x-x-

"Damnit…" Jojo growled, reaching desperately to reach the tool he had dropped. If his hands hadn't had so much grease on them, he wouldn't have dropped it in the first place, but then he couldn't really blame himself. It wasn't like he had never dropped a tool before.

Though his arms were long, the drop was longer, and as his fingers were just about to brush the metal handle of the Googen Brand wrench on the floor, he couldn't help but hear something shift behind him. Blinking curiously, he retracted his arm from the whole and sat up to look around. In the darkness beyond the light of his lantern, nothing but stillness filled the gap between the gears. He gazed at it for a moment before shrugging and leaning down again, arm once again snaking between pipes and turns and knobs to reach the wrench.

_Klnk…_

This time, Jojo blinked in surprise rather than curiosity. Slowly, he sat back up and turned to face the blackness behind him. He twisted around and stood.

"… Dad? Is that you?"

_Klnkl-knk…_

Jojo stiffened. The wrench was his only weapon, and it was out of his reach. "Dad?... Or… Molly, did you follow me here?"

…

Nothing. Maybe a bird had landed in here somewhere? He left the ceiling open for most of the day, so maybe it had gotten trapped? Or maybe it really was his sister, trying to play a trick on him again by-

"Well well well, what do we have here?" A slow, gravelly voice asked in a sign-song way. Jojo flinched horribly and gasped, so startled by the voice that he forgot for a moment just where exactly he was. No, definitely not Molly. There was a thump, followed by footsteps, and then all at once, the figure stepped into the light. Jojo felt his jaw drop. He stepped back and stumbled, falling and landing on his soundly on his rear. Never once did he take his eyes off of the huge green figure before him.

Red eyes narrowed as the smile widened, the corners of the mouth curling inward. Yellow, rotting teeth of different sizes and lengths filled the mouth, and Jojo could have sworn he saw a small bug run around two before the mouth closed for a moment and crunched down on something. When the smile returned, there was no bug.

"Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were the son of the mayor of Whoville! What a small little thing you are. Tell me, my boy, what are you doing here at such an hour?"

Jojo swallowed, feeling his heart sink lower in his chest. "F-fixing my orchestra."

The large green monster blinked curiouslybefore laughing awkwardly. "I'm sorry, did you… did you just say _your_ orchestra?"

Jojo nodded stiffly. The beast blinked, and slowly, the smile began to fade away. The eyebrows sank over the menacing eyes. A frown began to show.

"You mean to say that _you're_ the one who's been making all that damn noise?"

Jojo didn't reply. He didn't have too, for the monster knew the answer already. The beast stood up tall, taller than Jojo had thought possible, and the smile returned.

"Well then," he said, turning and reaching back for what he had brought, "I suppose that makes my job all the more simple, doesn't it?"

"W-What? What are you-"

When the Grinch turned around, he held in his hands a large gray sack. Jojo felt his heart race, pounding so fast that he thought it would give out. He was rooted to the spot, unable to move because he was so petrified in fear of the Grinch. He had heard the stories, the tales, and the rumors. His father had told him about the last time the Grinch made an attack on Whoville, and all the havoc he created. But as the Grinch's huge hand reached forward and grabbed the smallest Who by the scruff, he did nothing but shiver and squirm and fear for his life. By the time he was inside the sack, and the Grinch was tying it closed tightly, Jojo was just coming out of the terror-induced shock, and with the biggest breath he could take, he screamed the only thing he knew how to scream:

"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"

The Grinch, quite startled by the huge burst of sound, swore and flinched and swore again before taking the sack and swinging it into nearest surface as hard as he could. The surface just happened to have several knobs on it, and as Jojo's small form crashed into them, he was rendered unconscious by a swift knock to the side of the head.

After waiting for several seconds to see if the boy would move again, the Grinch spat on the lantern and put out the flame with the thick green mucus. Slinking away into the blackness with the sack over his shoulder, he cackled his Grinchiest laugh.

"Step one complete…"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I will look back at this and think "man I half-assed this thing", but right now I'm totally cool with it the way it is. Sorry for spelling or grammar errors. It's bedtime for me. Happy Who-night!


	2. A Mouth Full of Termites

Haha! An update! Thanks to everyone who added this story to alert or fav'd it. I hope you'll be joined by others soon! No warnings for this chapter, really. Please enjoy! And review!

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Little Jojo McDodd awoke quite afraid,

To find himself locked in a rusty bird cage.

He blinked once or twice, and squinted his eyes,

But through the thin bars, there was nothing to find.

No lighting or exits or people around,

In that staggering darkness, there was nothing to be found.

"H-hello?" Jojo called, into the blackness. His head pounded in steady rhythm with his heart as he tried to move around in the cramped cage. It hung from a rusted pole, dangling over the darkness, and with each movement he felt it might break. Panicking, he started to breathe harder.

"Careful, now, my boy, one wrong move and you'll end up down there."

Jojo jumped in surprise as the voice spoke out behind him, and the cage rocked dangerously. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted the Grinch standing quite awkwardly, his back bent forward and his shoulders perked upright. He smiled at the boy evilly.

"Take another look." He said simply, before he snapped his fingers. There was a 'fwooshing' sort of noise before Jojo turned and watched, quite to his horror, as a string of lights a mile long flicked on, revealing the huge cavern before and below the small who. Heaps of trash and rubbish and scraps of materials collected in piles here and there. It was a twenty foot drop to the bottom, and poor Jojo, all locked up in that cage, was suspended above it.

"_Breathtaking,_ isn't it?" The Grinch asked snidely. He taped his long fingers together and stepped forward to the ledge, looking directly at the small but otherwise quiet who.

"Now then. I'll pull you out of there if you tell me one thing. Think you can do that, _'Jojo'_?"

Jojo looked at him a moment, fear evident in his eyes, before he nodded. The Grinch smiled again, wider this time.

"How far would your father go to save you?"

Jojo blinked. "What?" He whispered, eyes widening. The monster before him straightened out.

"Your father. Would he, say… ban music from Whoville to save your life?"

A pin could have dropped a mile away, and they both would have heard it loud and clear. Jojo stared at him. Of course his father would. His father would go to the ends of the earth to save him. He was sure of it. But could this beast really mean to…

"I'll take that as an irrefutable 'yes'." The Grinch cooed happily, grabbing hold of the ring atop the cage and hoisting Jojo back to the safety of the ledge. Carrying the bird cage as though it were nothing, he happily strode through the opening into the cavern toward the rest of his lair, chuckling to himself.

Jojo, swinging back and forth in the cage, swallowed hard. Not good.

-x-x-x-

"Goodnight, girls."

A bellowing chorus of sleepy 'goodnight's chased Ned McDodd from the room. He closed the door quietly and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm so sorry you have to put up with all of that every day."

Sally smiled and shook her head. "Well, I may have to deal with all of the girls, but you're the one running a city. I'd say you have it just as hard as me."

"Well, maybe. But either way, we still have one more kid to say goodnight too."

His wife sighed. "Ned, you know Jojo hates us coming into his room."

"Sally, you know I can't just ignore him. I won't sleep well if I don't say goodnight."

A sigh. "Alright, fine."

Together, they walked down the hallway passed the eyes of their ancestors, eventually arriving at the door into their only son's room. Knocking once, Ned pushed a smile onto his face.

Nothing.

Knocking again. Still nothing.

"I told you he didn't want to be bothered." Sally murmured, rolling her eyes. Ned ignored her.

"Jojo? I'm coming in!" He called playfully, before twisting the handle of the doorknob and pushing it open. He was greeted with an empty, silent room. Sally dropped her arms to her side and groaned.

"The old observatory _again_? He's _always_ there!"

Shaking her head, she turned to head to their room. Ned looked after her, somewhat panicked.

"So, I guess that's your way of telling me to go check on him?"

"See you when you get back." She called, already a good way down the hall. Ned sighed and dropped his head. And here he thought his day was almost over.

-x-x-x-

Jojo crossed his arms over his chest and coughed, loudly and clearly, to alert the Grinch that he was still there. The towering green cretin had been rushing about, talking and laughing to himself as though Jojo didn't exist. And despite the cough, this continued. Irritated, scared, and suffering a terrible headache, Jojo looked around him and sighed, blowing some hair out of his face.

That moment, right before the hair fell back into his eyes, was when Jojo spotted a small dog, it's tail wagging and it's tongue drooping. It was looking up at the who with curiosity and hope. Jojo blinked. A dog?

Making sure that the Grinch was busy and distracted, Jojo shifted and looked down at the animal.

"Hey boy…" He glanced around the dog, and spotted a stick. The animal must have wanted to play fetch with him.

"Hey, you wanna give me the stick?" Jojo asked quietly, squeezing an arm between the bars. The dog yipped and panted and picked up the stick in its mouth, turned to Jojo, and placed it in his hand. The small who smiled.

"Good boy!" He whispered and lifted himself up a little. Turning the branch upward, Jojo shoved the end up it into the hoop atop the cage and twiddled it around. A little more, a little more…

Suddenly, with a painful crash, Jojo was on the floor. The old metal of the cage had split open, and its ribs had given way to the teenage who. Jojo groaned and looked up, wondering in perhaps the Grinch had heard. Would he come running? Waiting a good few minutes before he moved again, Jojo stood up carefully and stretched. He rubbed his head. The dog pressed its nose against his knees.

"Thanks boy." Jojo whispered, patting the animals head twice. The dog, unaware of just how dire the situation was, barked twice, happily. Jojo flinched.

"Shh!" He hushed the animal quickly, but from another nearby section of the cave, a clatter could be heard as the Grinch dropped what he was doing.

Jojo wasted no time. He turned and made a dash in the direction that a cold flow of air was coming from, assuming the entrance to the cave was that way. His feet pounded the stone, making small patting sounds as he ran, but it was nothing compared to the sound of the Grinch yelling in anger as he found the destroyed cage on the ground. Jojo's heart beat against his ribs as he ran, as light slowly began to cover the walls of the cave.

Yes! He was almost out! He pushed harder before his head injury caught up with him. The ground tilted dangerously to the left, and Jojo stumbled and fell. Everything began to spin around him. But the exit was right there! He _had_ to make it!

Pushing himself up, Jojo started running again, awkwardly and dizzily. The Grinch was in sight behind him now, not running but stalking forward as though he knew the boy was too injured to escape. He was grinding his rotting teeth in his mouth, and it sounded like gravel being scraped together.

"Don't be a fool, kid, get back here!" He spat. Jojo ignored him, pumping his short legs until he felt the cave walls vanish around him. The slope right outside of the mouth of the cave was steep, and he almost lost his footing. Catching himself in time, Jojo slid along the loose gravel and ash, and came to stop between two large, jagged boulders.

Sucking in huge, suitcase sized gulps of air, Jojo looked back around to find that nothing was behind him. Perhaps the Grinch had given up? Or maybe he couldn't stand being in the light? Jojo relaxed a little. Maybe that monster had-

"Gotcha!" Came a loud, heart breaking growl right beside Jojo's ear. The who yelped as two massive hands wrapped around his shoulders and hoisted him into the air.

"Well, that was rude." The Grinch mumbled as he slung the who over his shoulder. No matter how hard Jojo kicked or how loud he screamed, the Grinch was seemingly unaffected.

_No, _Jojo thought, _someone please help me!_

-x-x-x-

"Sally! _Sally!_" Ned hissed, racing across the room and scrambling over the bed. The curled form of his sleeping wife growled something incoherent before rolling over and glaring at him through the blankets.

"_What,_ Ned, could you possibly want at this hour?"

Normally, Sally was not a good who to wake up in the middle of the night. She was territorial and irreparable and short-tempered when awoken. And this was no special occasion. Ned was aware of that. But it was too important to ignore.

"It's Jojo!"

Sally sat upright. The only exception to the rule of Don't-Wake-Sally, as it had always been, was the wellbeing of her children.

"I went to the Observatory and looked all over, but he wasn't there! And then I found that!" Ned hissed, shoving a finger in the direction of a lantern that he had dropped almost carelessly on the floor. Sally squinted, trying to see it more clearly, as Ned scrambled back to get it for her. When he finally arrived with it, after stumbling and sliding around, she took it carefully in her hands.

The glass oval around the flame was cracked and shattered, and a thick green slime covered the burner. It smelled like rot and hate. Sally pushed the lantern away and covered her nose.

"Oh, Seuss, Ned, what _is_ that?!"

"I think it's… Well…"

"Well what?" Sally demanded. Her husband shrank back slightly and flinched at the memory.

"Remember back when that… _event_ happened, while my father was still mayor?"

Sally stared at him. "Yyyeeessss…" She said slowly, not liking where this was going.

"Well… The Gr-… _It_ spit on my father at some point."

"Ned, stop it."

"And I remember it being just like that…"

"No."

"So I think that maybe…"

"Ned, _no!_" Sally cried, eyes wide. "The Grinch did _not_ take our son!"

Ned stared at her, eyes full of hurt and fear and panic. His wife stared back, eyes wide with horror. It was the most uncomfortable, unwelcome stare the two had ever shared – ever.

"Sally, that monster hated music and noise. And because of the Old Observatory and Jojo's music-"

"Ned!" Sally gasped, tears forming in her eyes. She shoved herself into her husband's embrace. "Ned, we have to do something!"

The mayor choked on the fear that was rising into his throat and put on a brave face. He gave Sally a squeeze and nodded stiffly.

"We'll organize a town meeting. Right now. And we'll find out that this is all just a misunderstanding."

Sally nodded. She wanted to trust Ned so badly, but she understood that neither of them believed those words. They're son was in big trouble.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hoboy. Not good for Jojo, but at least his parents are starting to figure out what's going on. I wonder what the Grinch is up to while he's pacing around muttering to himself?

Please **REVIEW!**


	3. ThirtyNine and a Half Foot Pole

Oh my, I feel so uninspired to write this. Sad, really, because I like the story and the plot, but I just don't want to write anything as of now. Perhaps its writers block… Well, maybe reviews will help? I appreciate everything you guys say!

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Clad in robes and nightgowns and footed pajamas,

The Whos of Whoville gathered to learn of the drama.

Why was the mayor up on the balcony, all in a huff?

And why was his wife's comforting words not enough?

As the town square filled up, every who confused,

The mayor took out a mega-phone that had never been used.

It squealed and it whined and it made everyone flinch,

Until Sally McDodd adjusted it an inch.

With the mayor able to talk, and with everyone listening,

He told them the terrors, his brown fur bristling.

"Listen, everyone, I have terrible news!" Ned called, his voice amplified with the fixed mega-phone. Where Sally had learned to fix it was beyond him, but perhaps that's where Jojo got his talents from.

"I have reason to believe that the Grinch has kidnapped my son!"

A gasp, and murmuring, and a single woman screaming. Several people glanced in the direction of the cry with raised eyebrows. Most of the Whos looked skeptical at best.

"No, no, really! Think about it! With all the noise and music that's been around since the Horton Incident, I'm sure that monster would get angry! And not only that, but I found this!"

Lifting up the lantern high above his head, Ned felt like he had done all he could. But the people of Whoville looked up at him skeptically; they couldn't see or smell the slime from way down there.

"People of Whoville, please pay no attention to this buffoon!" From their right, on his cherry-picker platform, the Chairman VonFrood stood and glared at Ned. The Mayor faltered.

"He's obviously just had a bad dream! Please, go back to your homes and-"

"No!" Sally called, throwing VonFrood off his game. Sally stood bravely beside her husband and demanded the attention of everyone. Ned felt overwhelmed with pride for only a brief moment.

"This isn't a joke or a nightmare! Our son Jojo didn't come home tonight, and when we went to look for him we found this! It's _covered_ in a disgusting slime. City Council, please listen!"

Turning to face VonFrood and the men behind him, she took the lantern from Ned and leaned over the balcony's railing to hand it too them. The platform they were standing on swayed as one reached and took the lantern, despite VonFrood's protesting.

"This is ridiculous! There's nothing-" The thin green who stopped mid-sentence as the smell of the slime hit his nose, and it wrinkled in disgust.

"Dear _Seuss_, what is that?!"

"It's the slime!" One of the Councilmen said. Another stepped back and covered his face.

"Yes, I remember this! Our last mayor had to get a new suit because that monster spit on him! It's the same substance!"

The crowd below nearly lost it. As chaos closed in on the gathered people of Whoville, the mayor climbed onto the railing despite Sally's concerned protests, and shouted into the mega-phone.

"Stop immediately!" He cried. To his surprise, everyone did. He still hadn't completely adjusted to the respect he now received thanks to the Horton incident. Never the less, all eyes were on him. Silence ensued.

"What do we do, Mayor?" Someone shouted. Another agreed. Several asked similar questions. Ned stiffened and thought back to how his father had dealt with this problem when it had occurred for the first time. Although… this was different. Very different. How was he supposed to face this issue?

"Ned, say something. Please." Sally said quietly from behind him. Turning to face her, he spotted the pure sadness in her once shining eyes. He took a deep breath.

"I'll go to Mount Crumpit!" He called. From behind him, Sally gasped. He could picture her in his mind, covering her mouth with her hands in shock, but refused to turn and look at her.

"I'm not going to let that monster terrorize Whoville! Who's with me?"

Silence. Someone, somewhere, coughed. A baby cried.

"Come _on_, people, we have to be brave! If we can save Whoville from a horrible fate by shouting, we can defeat the Grinch! We just have to work together!"

A few murmurs. Some people slumped away back to their homes. Then, from the crowd, someone spoke up.

"I'll go with you, Mr Mayor!"

People turned. In the middle of the crowd, with her over-sized glasses sitting on the bridge of her small nose, was Dr Larue. She must have been working late hours in the labs at Who U, because she was still clad in her white lab coat.

From another part of the crowd, another voice spoke. "I'll go!"

Bert from Accounting.

"We'll go!" Cried Mr Crempist the Dentist, wrapping his arm around his oldest son, a tall gangly lad who looked like he absolutely hated what his father had just said.

Several other people volunteered their services as well. Ned smiled, his heart pumping with pride for his town.

"Alright!" He cried, "Let's go!"

-x-x-x-

Jojo glared straight ahead, ignoring the Grinch at all costs. The monster was once again working, but this time Jojo was in the middle of the room, high atop a pile of old books and rubble. For the second time, he found himself in a bird cage, but this one was slightly larger, slightly newer, and bent awkwardly at the side, forcing him to sit at a painful angle. The Grinch had made sure that the little who was uncomfortable.

"Aw, kid, cheer up." The Grinch said passively, having dropped the formal voice and forced façade he had been using. He tossed something to his left and sucked hard on the cigarette in his mouth, burning it all the way down with one breath. Jojo gagged as he watched the green monster tilt his head back and swallow the remains of the cigarette whole. Smoke blew out of his nose as he turned to face the boy.

"After all, it could have been worse. I could have actually hurt you, you know."

Jojo didn't look. He didn't speak. He just glared.

"Oh, don't be so immature. At least try to acknowledge the position you're in."

Jojo glared forward before the idea came to him. It was a stupid idea, in hind-sight. But at the time, he wanted nothing more then to agitate the monster below him and show that he could be a threat as well. Sucking air into his lungs, he opened his mouth and bellowed "_I can't fight this feeling any-more!_" The sudden burst of sound startled the Grinch badly, causing him to drop the contraption he had in his hands. It clattered and broke on the cave floor.

"Why you little-" He growled, turning quickly and clambering up the slope of rubbish in an attempt to reach the boy. Jojo didn't even flinch, just watched at the Grinch slipped and fell all the way back down. Blowing out a cloud of steam, the Grinch picked himself up and stood, glaring at Jojo, who was smiling.

"You little _rat_. I oughta chuck you into that cavern right now-" He stopped mid-threat, an idea suddenly coming to him. Smiling a twisted sneer, he climbed much more carefully up the slope, causing Jojo to hesitate and panic. But when he reached the top, the Grinch stopped, leaned on his elbow, and with one hand pulled out seven cigarettes. He stuck them all in his mouth, lips pulled back to reveal his teeth, and struck a match against the rotting ivory in his mouth. Lighting each one at once, he sucked in as much as he could before blowing all the soot, smoke, and putrid breath right into Jojo's face. The young who wheezed and hacked, eyes tearing. He gagged, and shoved himself away from the continuous cloud of smoke. This caused the cage to tip and fall, tumbling down the opposite side of the slope violently before it finally came to a stop. The Grinch remained at the top of the pile, chewing on the char that was once a knot of cigarettes. He looked down at the cage with a raised eyebrow and listened to the boy cough hard and painfully.

When Jojo finally stopped hacking, his throat was so sore that it hurt to swallow. He gasped for breath and looked up at the Grinch's approaching figure weakly.

"Try singing after that, you little brat."

Jojo opened his mouth to reply, and found that there was no voice. Not even a whimper. Just silence, and more coughing. The Grinch sighed, picked up the cage, and shook it a little until Jojo was facing him.

"Understand your situation yet?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Sorry that this update was so short. I've lost inspiration, unfortunately… help?


End file.
